Not sure whether this is the best place to reply (vs. the Yahoo forum), but here goes:

With 6 returning teams taking potentially 30 players off the market for the draft, it looks like it will be difficult for those with no keepers to compete. Taking a look at the list above, 8 of the top 10 RBs are off the market, as well as 9 of the top 12 WRs. Half the top 10 QBs are gone. I think I asked this on the Yahoo forum, but how do the draft picks work if each of the returning 6 teams keep their allotment of 5 players each? I understand that you forfeit a draft pick for each kept player, but how do you account for the actual value of that player?

For instance, using the example of RaptorFan4Life, he's keeping Peterson, Charles, and Forte. AP and Charles are both top-4 RBs, and Forte is arguably top-10 or close. So I get that the owner loses 3 picks in the draft, and given how the draft operates, it would seem to be his top-3 picks, which would be one each in Rounds 1-3. I think we can reasonably agree that Charles is not a 2nd round pick, and Forte is not likely a 3rd round pick. So the players that the new owners will have access to at those positions will be FAR inferior to the players who were kept.

I partly understand that there needs to be some reward for drafting those keepers in the first place, but I think there does need to be some thought given to placing higher value on those players. You could, for instance, look at the ADP for each player at this point in time, and assign that "price" to the keepers, so that keeping them would mean losing the relative pick at which they are being taken this year...

Another option would be for the 2 new owners to "inherit" the previous year's rosters, and let us pick our own keepers from those rosters in advance of the draft... That might actually be the easiest to manage...

Or maybe I'm misunderstanding this entirely... Anyone? Bueller?

Definition of Statistics: The science of producing unreliable facts from reliable figures.

Not sure whether this is the best place to reply (vs. the Yahoo forum), but here goes:

With 6 returning teams taking potentially 30 players off the market for the draft, it looks like it will be difficult for those with no keepers to compete. Taking a look at the list above, 8 of the top 10 RBs are off the market, as well as 9 of the top 12 WRs. Half the top 10 QBs are gone. I think I asked this on the Yahoo forum, but how do the draft picks work if each of the returning 6 teams keep their allotment of 5 players each? I understand that you forfeit a draft pick for each kept player, but how do you account for the actual value of that player?

For instance, using the example of RaptorFan4Life, he's keeping Peterson, Charles, and Forte. AP and Charles are both top-4 RBs, and Forte is arguably top-10 or close. So I get that the owner loses 3 picks in the draft, and given how the draft operates, it would seem to be his top-3 picks, which would be one each in Rounds 1-3. I think we can reasonably agree that Charles is not a 2nd round pick, and Forte is not likely a 3rd round pick. So the players that the new owners will have access to at those positions will be FAR inferior to the players who were kept.

I partly understand that there needs to be some reward for drafting those keepers in the first place, but I think there does need to be some thought given to placing higher value on those players. You could, for instance, look at the ADP for each player at this point in time, and assign that "price" to the keepers, so that keeping them would mean losing the relative pick at which they are being taken this year...

Another option would be for the 2 new owners to "inherit" the previous year's rosters, and let us pick our own keepers from those rosters in advance of the draft... That might actually be the easiest to manage...

Or maybe I'm misunderstanding this entirely... Anyone? Bueller?

With six teams taking four-five keepers they're not going to get draft picks until round six. That means you can use your draft picks to draft the guys who were on those teams who aren't returning. Manning, CJ and bunch of other nice options will be up for grabs in rounds one to five. Those two teams not returning had some nice players. Then there's the fact that player rankings are usually out to lunch; last year Green and Matthews were rated top ten backs by many in preseason. Charles wasn't a top 15 back entering last season. Bowe was considered a 8th to 10th round pick at best. Ditto for Nicks. Vick went undrafted and ended up being the MVP. Foster went like round ten or eleven and I was getting made fun of for "reaching on him" there. Things change yearly but you'll be able to draft the guys from those two teams not returning. You new guys won't have any competition until round five when iggy enters the mix because he's only keeping four players. Then in round six it becomes an ordinary fantasy draft. Draft well, play the wire and make smart trades and you can win the league. Mack didn't win the league last year on draft night, he won it by playing the game week in, week out.

One more example. I had to cut ties with Frank Gore, DeAngelo Williams and Brandon Marshall because I'm only allow five keepers. Last pre-season all three of those guys were arguably top three round players. Two of them were round one picks by many last year. Don't let player rankings fool you. The "gurus" are wrong just as much as they're right.

I have to agree with Apollo, that's a very nice crowd to be selecting basically 5 guys straight from. You might end up with a better squad than most of us! I dunno but I'd be happy selecting from them if I was new to a league...

I guess so, but 5 keepers seems like a lot under this scenario, though, esp. with only 8 teams in the league (max. 3 might be better to make for a better overall annual draft experience, ie. more owners participating in the earlier rounds, and is probably more common among leagues like this). Yes, there will be a lot of speculative talent on the table solely there for the taking by the 2 new teams, but a lot of the less-risky talent (ie. "true" round 1,2,3 talent) is unavailable.

I suppose it makes sense for new owners to have to "build" a team, though, and I'm up for the challenge... ;-) It'll be fun either way. Looking forward to Sunday!

Definition of Statistics: The science of producing unreliable facts from reliable figures.

Five keepers makes sense in the draft is front loaded still for new comers

You get a 23 man roster plus one injury reserve slot. Holding on to 20% of you team doesn't sound like a lot to me. Not to mention most standard leagues don't roll with big rosters so it's like comparing apples and oranges. This isn't a standard league. You need three starting IDPs for example. It's a challenging setup. I'm looking forward to the draft on Sunday as well. This season is going to be a lot of fun, we have a very good crew assembled here.

You're pretty much a lock to get a top tier QB and arguably at least two top 15 RBs. Gore and Jackson have top five potential. CJ is almost a lock for the top five if he gets his contract sorted out by week 1. A lot of people are slurping the Shonn Green hype again this year. Last year those guys got burned, this year I don't know, LT slowed down a lot last season. Green is the starter. They're saying 300 carries(wow) for him. If he's there in round six when I pick he's mine. Jackson could potentially be the #1 WR this season. Lloyd is on the board now too and he's a WR2 at worst based on last year's numbers.

Managers who have five perceived studs this year earned them in the draft and playing the wire well last season. You can do the same by drafting well and playing the wire. Leagues are won in the back end of drafts and on the waiver wire. Fosters' and Hillis' come out of nowhere all the time. one of last year's nobodies is primed to be this year's fantasy steamroller, you just need to be good and lucky enough to sniff him/them out.

You'll do fine, just prep for the draft and follow the potential wire gems.

Last edited by Apollo; Thu Aug 25th, 2011 at 12:39 PM.
Reason: A little more to say. :)

Draft Time

Just a reminder people, the draft is this Sunday at noon EST. A word to the wise from someone who's been there before, it never hurts to do a pre-rank list of a 100 or so players even if you feel you're going to be there. Something might come up or your connection might die or whatever. It would be a shame if you say for example, auto drafted Plax two years ago while he was busy healing from self inflicted gun shot wounds in jail. If anybody makes that kind of draft choice this season prepare to be mocked and ridiculed.

Finalized Draft Order

I just did a coin flip to determine who gets the first pick out of the new managers. Jimmie won and so he picks first. This draft snaking in format, just like last season. What this means is that the order inverts every round (ie: Jimmie has the 1st overall pick but in round two he picks last). Below is the official order of the Snaking formatted draft. Remember, the two new Managers are picking first and second and then the rest of the draft is determined by the final inverted standings from last season:

I wasn't online yesterday and just got this message now. Sorry but I can't do it. Yahoo doesn't allow me to change this stuff an hour before the draft. I went in to the console and it's no longer an option.

I definitely don't love my team, but I'll make do. Hey, I wasn't there for the draft last year either and look how that turned out for me! I really hate how they pre-rank the defensive players though, they give you nothing but junk!

9 more days til the season is underway, good luck everyone! I'm expecting a tight race to the finish this year just as last year was!